Diary of an Arcade Employee

The 60s

As you read on my post this morning, I really enjoyed “The 60s” boxed set. So much so that I am giving a copy away as part my next DVD contest. Since the Twitter contest was so wizard the last time, I am going to keep it rolling.

About The 60s

From the glamorous years of the Kennedy administration at the beginning of the decade to the triumph of the first moonwalk at the end, this comprehensive collection escorts you through the period’s world-changing events, including the Cuban missile crisis; the civil rights movement; the assassinations of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.; urban riots; the Vietnam War; and the peace movement it fostered. No less dramatic were the decade’s cultural touch points: the Beatles and Bob Dylan, birth control pills and the sexual revolution, miniskirts, hippies, communes, the ”Summer of Love,” LSD, and Woodstock.

How to Enter the Contest
Go over to Twitter and friend your friendly neighborhood Retroist at (http://www.twitter.com/retroist). After you have done that, send me an email with your twitter @username so that I can confirm that we are connected. That’s it. The drawing will be randomly chosen from all entries (1 entry per person). Now remember this is even open to existing Twitter people – you don’t need to be new, you just need to be a follower. Just remember to send me an email with you @username. Good Luck.

The 60s were a tumultuous time here in America, marked by advances in civil rights, unparalleled technological achievements and grass roots counterculture. I just got through watching the 14 disc box set of “The 60s” and they do a great job distilling and informing about this pivotal time in American history.

Each of the box set 14 discs are well produced and each one is more informational then the last. They include:

King
Tom Brokaw takes a look at the life and legacy of Martin Luther King through footage and interviews.

1968 with Tom Brokaw
Its amazing how much happened in 1968. From Assassination to Apollo. It is all in here. It also has interviews with Arlo Guthrie and “The Boss”. Bruuuucccce!

The Vietnam War, Vol 1: Vietnam: On The Frontlines 1-4 and The Vietnam War, Vol 2: LBJ And Vietnam: In The Eye Of The Storm / Command Decisions: Tet Offensive / Unsung Heroes: The Battle of Khe Sanh
The more I learn about Vietnam, the happier I am that I was born after it ended. Anyone who wants an overview of this quagmire should watch these 2 discs.

Race to the Moon, Vol 1: Failure Is Not An Option and Race to the Moon, Vol 2: Code Name: Project Orion / Modern Marvels: Apollo 13 / Modern Marvels: The Space Shuttle
Yes! Space! Now your talking my language. The triumph of Apollo. As a proponent of manned spaceflights, I found reveling in that golden age left me feeling melancholy. For those of you not aware of Project Orion, it was the code name for a nuclear propelled spacecraft program. I know that sounds like something out of Star Trek, but listen to this figure:

The top cruise velocity that can theoretically be achieved by a thermonuclear Orion starship is about 8% to 10% of the speed of light (0.08-0.1c).[1] An atomic (fission) Orion can achieve perhaps 3%-5% of the speed of light. A nuclear pulse drive starship powered by matter-antimatter pulse units would be theoretically capable of obtaining a velocity between 50% to 80% of the speed of light.

10% light speed?? That’s like 67,061,662.92 mph. That means we could get to Alpha Centauri in a mere 44 years. What are we waiting for??

JFK: A Presidency Revealed, Vol 1: Feature and JFK: A Presidency Revealed, Volume 2: Bonus programs Bio John F. Kennedy / Bio: Joseph Kennedy Sr. and The 60’s: The JFK Assassination / Modern Marvels: Apollo 11 / Bay of Pigs Declassified
That Joe Kennedy bio is a must see. It made we want to learn more about the Kennedys.

The 60’s: Peyote to LSD and Days of Rage and Wonder: Hippies
I am so far removed from the Hippie experience that its like watching some sort of mysterious fiction. I do not see a parallel in recent times that I think would be covered in some future box set. If you were a Hippie and would like to explain Hippiedom to me in a real way (not just through slogans) please send me an email. No modern hippies people. I want 1st gen hippie.

Days of Rage and Wonder: Riot: The Chicago Conspiracy Trial / Sex and the Vietnam War
I had heard of the Chicago 7 (although I was always more familiar with the Secaucus 7), but I admit, I knew nothing of the Chicago Conspiracy Trial. A great overview.

This box set can act as a primer for anyone who wants to sample what the 1960s are all about. At the same time it’s rare interview footage and archival material will be a treat for anyone who has a serious interest in this decade.